BT-50, D-Max okay for now as factory closes

Supply of the sister utes is considered strong enough to last the expected period when production of both is suspended, due to coronavirus.

MAZDA BT-50 is about to release here, following in tyre tracks of its Isuzu D-Max sister ship, which launched here in October.

 DISTRIBUTORS for the Isuzu D-Max and its Mazda BT-50 sister ship are confident they have enough stock here and en route to establish the utes in the market while the factory in Thailand making both is closed, potentially for at least three months.

However, the national sales operations for each brand have stopped short of commenting about the potential of supply of the technically-aligned models yet being affected at some juncture. 

All that is known for sure about the shutdown is that it has been caused by a third-party supplier being unable to get a vital component to Isuzu, which makes both vehicles, and that this will likely keep the plant closed until February, though that timeline is tentative.

Mazda New Zealand was today awaiting further information from head office in Japan.

At the moment, it has not been advised about whether the BT-50 is even directly impacted. It is on standby for any updates and says, for now, it’s business as usual.

Meantime, Isuzu Utes New Zealand has offered the following: “ Our understanding is there is a reduction in production due to the delay in component supply from Europe, and are therefore working with (the) factory to manage our future supply chain.” 

News of the situation comes as Mazda NZ is in the process of launching the BT-50 to dealers, with intent to publicly announce pricing and specifications when showing it to media on November 24.

A Mazda NZ spokesman expressed confidence today that even if there was to be an impact on New Zealand, it would not be felt immediately – or perhaps at all.

There is a big stockpile of vehicles in this country already because the model is of high priority “and we have forward ordered supply numbers accordingly.”

Isuzu Utes New Zealand, which released the D-Max in October, offered much the same thought.

“We have sufficient stock here in NZ with further arriving later this month, December and January,” said communications manager Kimberley Waters.

Isuzu Japan acknowledged the situation yesterday, saying had to ‘suspend’ assembly. Subsequent media reports say it stems back to a parts supplier in Europe being shut down due to Covid-19. Some outlets are suggesting the crucial item is an engine component from Germany.

The two utes were co-developed by Mazda and Isuzu and, though stylings and equipment levels appear to differ, they are identical in mechanical make-up; same 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine, same transmissions and a common platform.

Yet that doesn’t automatically mean Mazda is in the same pickle. Parts for the jointly-developed vehicles are sourced globally, so at this stage only the D-Max is absolutely known to be affected.

The D-Max line selected for New Zealand appears identical to that going to Australia, where Isuzu’s distributor has expectation of fall-out.

It has sent out statement regretting the vehicle’s production has been “temporarily put on hold” and explaining that this “unfortunate pause in vehicle production is related to one of our key component suppliers in Europe (producing unique components for our Australian-specification D-Max) has had to temporally close their manufacturing plant due to COVID-19.

“As a result we have had to suspend our D-MAX production in Thailand for up to three months, with a tentative recommencement of vehicle production of February 2021."

The models’ arrival and market impact in New Zealand is a big news story as the latest generation has been the first one-tonne utility to be accredited with a top-drawer five star safety score under a toughened test regime that independent scorer and national crash test agency, the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, implemented in January. Other competitor utes with five star scores from ANCAP received these when the test was easier.

New-gen MU-X on D-Max trail

As expected the new MU-X has dramatically modernised.

THE next-generation Isuzu MU-X four-wheel-drive has been unveiled. 

As with the existing model sold here, the new vehicle shares the majority of its underpinnings with the latest D-Max one-tonne utility, which is about to go on sale in New Zealand and also comes from Thailand, where the MU-X is to be built. 

How long before we see it here? If the same timeline that applied to the ute continues for the wagon, then it could be arriving this time next year, or even later. There’s been a 12-month delay between the D-Max’s unveiling in Thailand and arrival here.

Isuzu has released limited information about the new MU-X and the national distributor could not be reached for comment.

It would seem a safe bet that the vehicle will benefit from many of the key improvements applied to the D-Max.

Also, in being derived from the new ute, the wagon will also be just as new from the ground up: The D-Max body, chassis and drivetrain have all altered significantly.

In saying that, it’s apparent the styling is not only far more modern, with LED headlamps arriving, but also far more removed from the D-Max look.

Whereas the current MU-X and outgoing D-Max were very clearly related, the new wagon seems to deliver its own appearance.

There’s every chance that the new MU-X will sharpen up considerably on safety features through adopting everything that now loads in the D-Max.

The ute has a centre airbag between the front seats as well as advanced technology such as radar cruise control, twin-camera autonomous emergency braking, blind zone warning, rear cross-traffic alert, speed sign recognition, and more.

Infotainment is expected to include a large 9-inch screen with Apple Car Play, Android Auto and a digital speed display in the instrument cluster. Top end models will likely have dual zone air-conditioning and rear air vents.

Drivetrain commonality is ticked. So that means a 3.0-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder generating 140kW and 450Nm paired with a choice of a six-speed auto or six-speed manual, in 2WD or 4WD on certain models.

A rear differential lock is also expected to be available on the 2021 Isuzu MU-X, as per the new Isuzu D-Max.

Media information provided from Thailand suggests the vehicle will deliver a more fulsome comfort level and specification.

The specification of the vehicle here runs to cooled front seats, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, a household power socket inside the cabin, extra USB charging ports front and rear, premium audio, an electric park brake, and an adjustable electric tailgate.  

Exterior design touches include 20-inch wheels and LED tail-lights. Automated parking tech – which works with front and rear sensors and the new electric power steering system – is also likely to be available.

 MU-X has been a quiet achiever in the market, with 208 registrations last year and 169 so far in 2020, but it potentially has greater potential now that the Holden Trailblazer -  which was a co-development of Isuzu’s current model but more richly-appointed, better engineered and more powerful - is out of the market.

This time of course, the D-Max and Mazda BT-50 are strongly co-related, but there has been no indication of interest from Hiroshima about created a robust seven seater MU-X offshoot.

D-Max distributor in confident mood

If you’re a D-Max fan and wondering what justifies the incoming new line being so much pricier than before? Read on.

PAYING more will be worth it: That’s a local message that the D-Max’s distributor is confident it can get through to the model’s current followers. 

Technology enhancements and assertion from our national crash test agency that the new Isuzu is the “safety benchmark for the competitive ute segment” has emboldened Isuzu Utes New Zealand’s argument for why the model costs up to $10,000 more than its predecessor, depending on the model.

The cheapest incoming model, a rear-drive LX, starts at $49,990 while the flagship, called the X-Terrain, is entering the market for $75,490.

How well will the model’s traditional fanbase accept that, given they’ve accessed the line for considerably less until this changeover?

The old D-Max at full retail was positioned between $39,890 and $61,990, but an aggressive clearance over the last few months has delivered those editions for substantially reduced stickers.

The make’s sponsorship, events and public relations manager believes it won’t be too hard to convince the customer base why the rig has gone from budget placement to now siting directly against the highest-priced competitors in the class.

Kimberley Waters acknowledges D-Max’s five-star score from the Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, better known as ANCAP, announced two days after the pricing was made public adds more value to the ‘why buy’ argument. The score was achieved under the latest scoring regime, which effected just this year and has raised the bar considerably. 

“The … D-Max offers more in every aspect compared to its predecessor with the inclusion of a more powerful and efficient turbo-diesel engine, upmarket equipment and features, and new safety technology,” Waters says. 

“Gaining a five star safety rating from the hardest ANCAP test to date, making it the safest ute on the market, also reinforces Isuzu’s investment and commitment to providing its customers with the best safety tech. 

“Increasing the value to the customer has been a key driver behind the significant lift in the level of specification across the board,” she says.

So in respect to the price having jumped?

“The enhancements to the all-new D-Max has raised the bar … we believe our customers will see the value in what they are getting for their investment. We’re confident in the product and are already seeing some early positive signs with lots of enquiry by existing and new customers.

“We’re confident the all-new D-Max will be well received. It’s a game changer and a significant player in the ute market.”

The first phase of Isuzu Utes NZ’s marketing campaign has focussed on the vehicle arrival date and the ability to place a deposit now online to secure a unit.

Waters says this online ordering process is a New Zealand-first for the ute market. “We’ve been really pleased with the initial response.”

Once the ute is in dealerships next month “we’ll move onto the second phase of our marketing campaign which we are currently developing.”

In respect to that, we can expect to see the safety score being leveraged, she concurs.

D-Max achieves ANCAP A-plus

Strong test rating makes new model the sector’s crash test champion.

HIGH praise for the new one-tonne ute co-developed by Isuzu and Mazda has come from the independent safety agency most relevant to New Zealand.

The Australasian New Car Assessment Programme, better known as ANCAP, is a New Zealand-funded crash test operation based in Australia.

The organisation has determined the Isuzu D-Max, which is about to release on sale here and will soon after provision as the Mazda BT-50, to be the one-tonne sector’s safety benchmark.

This results from it becoming the first ute to score a full five-star ANCAP rating to  2020 standards, which introduce more stringent measurements of safety than have previously applied.

The vehicle safety authority, whose primary backers on this side of the Tasman are the New Zealand Government and the Automobile Association, is satisfied the score applies to all variants of the new model.

According to ANCAP, the D-Max is the  “safety benchmark for the competitive ute segment.”

 “Our 2020 requirements again set the bar higher to promote further vehicle safety improvements and address some of the ongoing challenges on our roads,” ANCAP director of communications and advocacy, Rhianne Robson, says in a release.

The score reinforces the merit of the Isuzu Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS), which is fitted across the range.

This uses a Hitachi-supplied twin-camera system mounted high on the windscreen and is critical for forward collision warning, AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection and turn assist, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning and automatic steering assist.

It also traffic sign recognition, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and emergency lane keeping, among further features.

On top of technology systems, Isuzu D-Max is also the first ute in the world to fit a front-row centre airbag as standard for added occupant protection and bringing the total number of airbags to eight.

Says Robson: “With the new challenges set by ANCAP from 2020, it is extremely pleasing to see manufacturers achieve good results against these increasing standards, and take responsibility by prioritising safety to provide their customers with the safest vehicles they can.”

The make’s national distributor has welcomed the score, which Conceivably puts the model above even other other utes that have achieved five star status, as their scores were decided under less stringent circumstances.

The previous D-Max was a less satisfactory performer in ANCAP testing.

However Isuzu Utes New Zealand general manager Sam Waller believes customers can “reassuringly drive away knowing this D-Max is equipped with cutting-edge safety systems to keep them out of trouble at a moment’s notice.

“Given double cab utes are proving a popular family vehicle, receiving one of the highest scores awarded by ANCAP for Child Occupant Protection will no doubt be very comforting for families.”

The score’s release comes in the same week of the distributor releasing the new line’s pricing, which brings a steep increase over the outgoing editions’ positioning, with $8000 to $10000 added to stickers when recommended retails are compared, and the gap widening significantly more when the special runout tags attached to the old model are considered.

Isuzu Utes NZ has yet to respond to an invitation to discuss the pricing, which elevates what was previously the sector’s budget buy into the same premium sector as the popular Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, albeit with more safety equipment than those rivals pack.

D-Max joins utedom's business class

The new D-Max is weeks from launch, but pricing is out now. We knew those extras would have to add to the bottom line, but … gosh.

TECHNOLOGY enhancements surely set to elevate Isuzu’s D-Max’s status in ute-dom have also delivered with a hefty price rise.

Announcement today of the model range and prices for an eight-strong line-up reaching the showroom next month suggests the new derivatives will cost between $8000 to $10,000 more than their equivalents in the previous range when full retails are considered, and much more if comparison is made against the old models’ runout pricing.

The cheapest incoming model, a rear-drive LX, starts at $49,990 while the flagship, called the X-Terrain, is entering the market for $75,490.

The increases were always in the wind; they’ve hit in every market where the rig sells and reflect how much change has come to the model, through its makers – not just Isuzu this time, but also Mazda – seeming to determine it’s time to create a more direct rival for the sector’s big guns, Ford Ranger and Toyota Hilux.

Yet the end cost of the effort necessitated to lift its game might nonetheless still come as a big shock to D-Max’s traditional customer base, which has been used to be spending much less.

It might also titillate Hilux and Ranger faithful, who will note that some D-Max models seem to be more expensive than comparable models in the Toyota and Ford lines.

The old D-Max at full retail was positioned between $39,890 and $61,990, but an aggressive clearance over the last few months has delivered those editions for substantially reduced stickers.

How the brand intends to argue the defence remains unknown. Isuzu Utes NZ general manager Sam Waller and public relations manager Kimberley Waters could not be reached for comment and the press information sent out today steered clear of directly addressing this issue.

The new line’s equipment provision was detailed by MotoringNZ on August 16 (https://www.motoringnz.com/news/2020/8/16/d-heading-for-a-plus?rq=d-max).

Our story then suggested that this model and the Mazda BT-50 that derives from it are set to deliver enough advanced safety and technology to reset market expectations.

That has been further reinforced by today’s release of information that confirms that every single model in the incoming range – including the three LX tradie versions that arrive in singe, space and double cab configurations, in manual and auto and two and four-wheel-drive formats –will deliver with an advanced safety package, including class-first advances of perimeter sensing technology and a centre airbag.

Other improvements to the entry derivatives include a seven inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic lights and wipers and adaptive cruise control for automatic models.

The next level is the LS-M, which avails in double cab 4WD with automatic or manual transmissions. It adds to the LX provision by implementing LED head lights with LED daytime running lights, a plusher trim. It rides on 17 inch alloys.

The LS line above this goes to a nine inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate air-conditioning, rear parking sensors. This edition runs on 18 inch alloys.

The top rung of the ladder is occupied by X-Terrain, which purely formats in an automatic double cab four-wheel-drive configuration.

In addition to the active safety technology of the other variants, it includes a powered driver seat, leather trim, a smart proximity key with remote engine start, front and rear parking sensors, wheel arch extensions and gun-metal exterior highlights (wheels, grille, mirror caps, door handles and roof rails) as well as a matte black roller tonneau cover and under-rail tray liner.

This D-Max is a co-production with Mazda, whose own BT-50 version is also coming to NZ this year, though release details have yet to be divulged.

D heading for A-plus?

The D-Max utility’s release in Australia points to exciting news for Kiwi buyers of this model – and its impending Mazda sister ship.

BOUGHT a Ford Ranger or Toyota Hilux in the past few years purely on strength of these being considered well-kitted for driver assists and safety equipment? 

If so, then perhaps the replacements for those models should be two rigs that until now have been overshadowed on those ingredients.

Impression that this model and the Mazda BT-50 that derives from it are set to deliver enough advanced safety and technology to reset market expectations has been cemented by how the D-Max has just presented in Australia.

While Isuzu and Mazda in New Zealand have yet to set release dates for the new-gen one-tonners in this market – beyond saying it’ll be before year-end -  and even though the BT-50 has also yet to touch down in Australia, the D-Max’s specification for Australia, its first export market, have been fully laid out.

That act - which includes the video here today, made because the Australian media were introduced by way of a virtual launch, because of coronavirus - lends accurate insight in what’s coming here, given that the NZ market representatives of both makes have never made any secret that we can expect basically identical provisions that are being delivered across the Tasman.

If so, then ute market leader, Ford, and consistent runner-up Toyota are going have to become used to now treating the Isuzu and Mazda products more seriously as direct equals than they might have done previously. 

Isuzu essentially shocked the Australian industry in announcing every single model in the 2021 D-max range – including the basic tradie versions – will come with an advanced safety package, including class-first advances of perimeter sensing technology and a centre airbag.

It’s highly likely everything that goes into the Isuzu will transfer to the Mazda, given those model lines are already so closely aligned in every other major mechanical and design aspect.

As is, all D-Max models announced for our neighbour – and that’s four variants, from base SX to a new flagship X-Terrain fitted with plenty of flash kit - come with the new Intelligent Driver Assistance System (IDAS) with a unique twin-camera system used by independent partner Hitachi. Enabling 3D effect, the cameras substitute the usual radar sensors which mount lower in the vehicle and can be easily fouled by mud, dirt and accessories.

Yes, it might well come at a cost. The new flagship D-Max X-Terrain Crew Cab is $A58,990 ($64,648 in our money), so some $A7000 ($7676) more than its current range-topping D-Max LS-T.

However, this provision also means that what has until now been a stalwart work ute has become an especially advanced offering.

The full capabilities of the safety system include Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), AEB with turn assist, forward collision warning, post-collision warning, mis-acceleration mitigation and adaptive cruise control (but only on automatics), lane departure warning and prevention, lane keep assist (also not for manual), traffic sign recognition, speed limited, blind-spot monitoring, auto high beams, rear cross-traffic alert and driver attention assist.

This big step up in safety tech is supported by the ute having also gone new in its design: A new look, fresh – though still, of course, old-school ladder frame - chassis and an all-new engine and improved drivetrain are also likely to be appreciated. 

Three D-Max cabin types are offered to our neighbour - Single Cab, Space Cab and Crew Cab – and aside from X-Terrain there are SX, LS-M and LS-U variants. 

D-Max’s renowned robustness is still a core ingredient, Isuzu assure; it says the development programme included more than four million kilometres of “vigorous” testing to ensure it has improved in every area of ride and handling and performance yet retained that acknowledged toughness.

Though it maintains the 3.0-litre capacity associated with the current D-Max, the ‘4JJ3-TCX’ turbo diesel engine is new. It produces 140kW at 3600rpm 450Nm of torque at 1600-2600rpm, an increase of 10kW and 30Nm over the old motor.

Isuzu speaks to a quieter, more refined performance with noticeable real-world driveability improvements. Just as importantly, in the legislative world, it now complies with Euro 5 emissions regs. Be prepared for a slight change of pace in respect to fuel burn. In some variants it sits at 7.7 litres per 100km

But others are up to 8.1L.

Transmission choices are a six-speed manual or auto, the latter being a new Aisin Rev-Tronic unit with sports mode and manual shifting.

A body that has grown wider (with a 30mm longer wheelbase) provides more cabin space, yet the shape is more aerodynamically efficient. The interior fitout has been covered previously, but one turnup is that the multimedia system (seven-inch screen at base, nine-inch for the luxury provision) is capable of wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity – a first for a ute in this market. Android users need a USB cable to use the Auto service. 

The larger touchscreen has built-in sat nav and interior appointments have also been given the upmarket treatment with new finishes and soft-touch surfaces.

The flagship has electrically operated leather-accented seats, piano black trim, remote engine start, dark grey alloy wheels, aero sports bar, roller tonneau cover and tub liner.

Ride and handling have improved, with new independent double-wishbone front and the same three-leaf spring setup in the rear but with 30mm of axle travel and tuned to light or heavy load work depending on the grade of model.

It also delivers upgrade to off-road ability, with all 4×4 models now offering an electromechanical rear differential lock, improved ‘Terrain Command’ that can shift from low to high range within one second on the move at up to 100kmh.

The D-Max has an 800mm wading depth. Aussie’s LS-U and X-Terrain also have a higher 240mm ground clearance with 30.5 degrees approach, 24.2 degrees departure and 22.8 degrees ramp-over. All four-by-two and four-by-four also offer hill start assist and hill descent control as standard.

For touring and working, the payload goes up to 1320kg in the SX cab chassis, and towing capacity is 3500kg braked with a 350kg tow ball limit. GCM is 5950kg and GVM goes up to 3100kg.

Oh yeah, we need to talk about the accessories – no ute being complete without a few add-ons, right?

The Aus market is taking more than 50 accessories -  bullbars, tow bars, electronic brake systems, roof racks, cargo organisers, alloy trays and tonneau covers, as well as toolboxes and oddments. 

Take note that the Isuzu factory nudge or alloy/steel bullbars will work with the IDAS system.

Towers will be able to select a tow pack with tow ball kit rated to 350kg and meeting expectations of the 3500kg braked towing capacity, and a Redarc electric braking system. There’s also a weight-distribution hitch on the list.

And what will all that tech do for the crash test rating? Conceivably, it should go well. Isuzu itself is said to be highly confident D-Max will score a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating. However, that’s yet to be proven. crash testing has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Ute outlook Pt 1: Mazda's new love ... Max

Our national obsession for utilities, especially family-minded dual-cabs, knows no bounds. The market is booming at the moment, and filled with plenty of strong options. Yet surely you’re also keen to know something about what’s coming up next, when and from whom? So, here’s the first instalment of a three-part analysis.

2020 D-Max

ONE of the big motoring stories over the next few months is going to be all about utes – what’s going to be new, and who is going to be building them.

It’s called platform sharing, folks.  And the art of sharing development costs. In recent times it’s seen the likes the Mazda BT-50 built on the same platform as the Ford Ranger, the Mercedes-Benz X-Class built on the same underpinnings as the Nissan Navara, and the Holden Colorado sharing the platform of the Isuzu D-Max.

Now the deckchairs have been re-arranged and the platform sharing has started all over again. But while the process itself is remaining the same,  the outcomes are a lot different.

So which new ute is being developed with which other new ute – or even utes? In this series of articles, we provide the breakdowns, starting with a pair of newly-weds.

Back in the day when Ford owned 35 percent of Mazda,  the Australian division of the blue oval company was largely responsible for development of what remains New Zealand’s biggest-selling vehicle, the Ranger.

And, thanks to the ownership scenario at the time, Mazda conceived its BT-50 version off the Ranger. Although it featured such differences as unique body styling and different suspension settings, the two utes shared the same chassis and same powertrain and were even built in the same factory in Thailand.

While the process saved a lot of money in development costs, in New Zealand  this platform sharing scenario proved to be something of a double-edged sword for Mazda.

That was because of Mazda’s 24 Kiwi dealerships, 18 of them were also Ford dealerships – and for sales staff it was easier to sell the hugely popular and masculine-looking Ranger than the BT-50, despite the fact Mazda NZ went to great lengths to differentiate between the two, particularly as regards pricing.

 End result: Ranger has a 20 per cent share of New Zealand’s ute market, while the almost identical BT-50 owns 5 per cent.

2020 D-Mx

Ford doesn’t own any stake in Mazda any more – it sold its shareholding in 2010 – and the current BT-50 is the only remaining remnant of that ownership scenario.  And now that’s about to change, thanks to a supply agreement Mazda brokered four years ago with Isuzu.

At the time, the two brands said the agreement would allow Mazda to “maintain own-brand market coverage.” In other words, get out from under the shadow of Ford.

And Isuzu? Back in 2016 it said the agreement would allow it to “enhance its product competitiveness”. In other words, rid itself of lingering claims that its D-Max ute has for all intents and purposes always been a Holden Colorado.

Actually, it’s always been the other way around.

At one stage General Motors owned 49 per cent of Isuzu,  which gave the Detroit giant access to Isuzu light trucks.  That explains why the Holden Rodeo sold in Australasia from 2002 to 2008 was in fact the original Isuzu D-Max.

But when GM began to sell down its shareholding in Isuzu, the two brands began to go their own ways. GM lost the right to the Rodeo name and changed the name of the Holden ute to Colorado, then Isuzu distribution operations were established in Australia in 2008 and New Zealand in 2010, which allowed the brand to begin to sell the D-Max.

It’s been like that ever since, with the D-Max and the Colorado essentially sharing the same platform but being increasingly their own vehicles – different engines and powertrains, different bodyshell designs (well, from the A pillar forward anyway), and built in different Thai assembly plants.

But now that’s all about to change. Instead of a BT-50 being a Ranger and a D-Max being a Colorado, the new BT-50 will be a new D-Max.

First to arrive will be the D-Max, which has already been launched in its home Thailand and was scheduled to be unveiled in New Zealand just after mid-year – in fact dealers were scheduled to be in Thailand in late April to watch the first kiwi models roll off the assembly line.

 But thanks to Covid-19 the assembly plant was shut down, and the trip had to be cancelled. Isuzu Utes NZ Ltd marketing manager Kathyrn Hayward said the company is now working with the factory to confirm a new arrival date for the D-Max.

“We will provide more information when we can,” she added.

A feature of the new ute is that it will be powered by a beefed-up version of the excellent 3.0-litre four cylinder turbo diesel that is under the bonnet of the current model. Power has gone up to 140 kilowatts and torque has risen to 450 Newton metres. It’s also going to have improved safety specification and more infotainment.

During last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Isuzu told the attending media that the new D-Max was developed solely by Isuzu as the original equipment manufacturer, with the finished product then provided to Mazda.

A shared disclosure agreement with Isuzu means Mazda New Zealand is unable to disclose any specifics about how the brand has BT-50-ised the ute. That will become clear when the vehicle is launched here later this year.

 But Mazda NZ product and sales planning manager Tim Nalden did confirm that the current BT-50 is enjoying such a “halo” period at the moment – it’s achieving its highest monthly segment share levels since its first year on the market in 2011 – that it is leading the company to consider selling both models side-by-side for a period of time.

It’s going to be interesting how both these new models perform on the New Zealand ute market.

Last year the BT-50 was the sixth biggest selling ute here with 2325 sales, and the D-Max one place behind with 1802 sales. But in 2020/2021 a combination of the fact they are brand-new, and the imminent disappearance from the market of the volume-selling Holden Colorado,  could see a rise in registrations of both of these models.